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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. field — for sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. march — the month
  5. club — for golf
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. march — the month
  13. club — for dancing
  14. field — a subject
  15. march — music
  16. club — a group
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com